Daily Briefing: Israel, Hezbollah trade blows

Israel and Hezbollah exchanged a massive barrage of missiles as conflict continues unabated in the Middle East. College administrators are preparing for another possible surge in campus anti-war activism. Lake Mary won the Little League World Series title – a first for a team from Florida.

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Attacks by Israel, Hezbollah could fuel Mideast war. Or could they ease tensions?

Iran-backed Hezbollah militants and the Israeli military traded massive aerial attacks Sunday as violence along the Israeli-Lebanese border reached ominous new heights.

The attacks came as negotiators met in Cairo for struggling talks aimed at reaching a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas amid global concerns the war in Gaza could expand into Lebanon and explode across the region.

• Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the attack was in retaliation for the assassination on July 30 of high-ranking Hezbollah figure Fuad Shukr.
• Israel said it had learned of the attack in advance and sent more than 100 jets out to hammer Hezbollah positions and thwart a larger attack.
• Israel and Hezbollah, however, indicated they did not want a full-blown war in Lebanon, and some experts said Sunday's powerful strikes could calm the rising tensions in the short term.

Colorado Republicans keep voting against certifying elections

After Colorado’s elections for local offices in November, a state Republican Party official sent out a notice to local board members saying they should vote against certifying the results. “Nothing has changed since the 2020 elections,” wrote Ron Hanks, who leads the Colorado GOP's election integrity unit. Colorado is part of a nationwide trend in which local Republican officials vote against certifying elections. Many of them question the results of the 2020 presidential election and experts see the votes as testing the waters for discrediting the results of this year’s presidential vote. Read more

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Russia launches massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine

The sound of explosions rang out in central Kyiv on Monday morning as Ukraine's military warned of a massive Russian missile and drone attack. Local authorities reported explosions in the northwestern city of Lutsk and said that an apartment block had been damaged. Ukrainians have been expecting a major Russian missile attack for some time. The U.S. embassy issued a warning last week of an elevated risk of attack around Ukrainian Independence Day, which Ukraine marked on Saturday. Read more

Are campus protests coming back?

As the fall term gets underway at many colleges, administrators are preparing for another possible surge in campus activism. The last school year ended acrimoniously as anti-war protests persisted on many school grounds, disrupting graduation ceremonies and jeopardizing some students’ academic standing. Though on-campus demonstrations lulled this summer as students dispersed, the conditions that motivated the recent wave of activism haven’t changed dramatically. While several high-profile college presidents have left their roles, many schools haven’t substantively changed their investing strategies. Read more

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Florida team wins Little League World Series 

The winning play in the 2024 Little League World Series didn’t come on a walk-off home run, a line drive that led to a dramatic play at the plate or a pressure-packed strikeout with a full count. Rather, it was a bunt. With the score deadlocked at one in extra innings of the championship game Sunday, Lake Mary (Florida) Little League’s Hunter Alexander laid down a bunt along the first base line. A play that was meant to advance teammate Lathan Norton from second base with no outs turned out to be something much more. Read more

Photo of the day: Aaron Judge joins elite MLB club as monster season continues

Aaron Judge's monster season continued with two more monster home runs on Sunday afternoon, giving him a major league-leading 51. And it's still only August. During Sunday's 10-3 win over the Colorado Rockies, the New York Yankees' All-Star slugger became just the fifth player in baseball history to post at least three 50-homer seasons in his career, joining Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Alex Rodriguez.

Reuters contributed reporting.

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